An Exclusive Peek at the Lean In Movie Script

Lean In: The Movie

An exclusive peek at the Sheryl Sandberg–inspired script.

Rachel McAdams plays Becky, a gorgeous genius who secretly believes she is garbage.

Photo illustration by Lisa Larson-Walker

Late last week, it was reported that Sony Pictures had bought the rights to Sheryl Sandberg’s best-selling book, Lean In. Today, Slate has obtained an exclusive first look at the script. We can’t wait to see how it all comes together on the big screen.

BECKY (Rachel McAdams), a gorgeous genius who secretly believes she is garbage, sits in an office waiting room in a skirt suit and tottering heels, hyperventilating.

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FEMALE RECEPTIONIST

Becky, Mr. Zaggerburk will see you now.

BECKY(up-talking?)

It’s OK? I can just leave now? And never come back?

FEMALE RECEPTIONIST

Follow me.

Female Receptionist throws open the door to reveal a warehouse-style office strewn with MacBook Airs and ergonomic balls. To their left, BROS are hard at work rearranging a set of oversized arrows on a vast white board. To their right, BROS play a pickup game of trashcan basketball. DAX (Jason Segel), a man, palms a NERF BASKETBALL, takes a shot, and rockets Becky in the head.

DAX

Oh, come on!

BECKY
(perkily)

My fault!

Female Receptionist and Becky arrive at a child’s playpen at the corner of the office. MAX ZAGGERBURK (Michael Cera), somehow a billionaire, lies on his back, batting a ball of yarn over his head.

BECKY

Mr. Zaggerburk? I’m so sorry to waste your time. I’ll just­—

MAX

Please: Call me Max. Take a seat.

Becky carefully lowers herself onto an enormous ergonomic ball.

MAX

Becky, GooBookIn would like you to come join a team
that’s collaborating to pivot a mission-critical project for us.

But I’m just a top-of-my-class Wharton MBA. I don’t know
the first thing about business.

MAX

The job pays $100,000 to start.

BECKY
(driving her hardest bargain)

How about $50,000?

MAX

Deal.

Max shakes Becky’s trifling little hand.

INT. – GOOBOOKIN OFFICE – DAY

Becky, perched precariously on a ball at her hacker space, intently fills out a spreadsheet on an iPad. She presses “PRINT” with a flourish, then surveys the office. Across the room, Dax grabs a giant yellow arrow mounted to the wall, spins it like a pinwheel, and scratches his chin. Becky looks at her watch. It is 9:08 a.m.

BECKY
(under her breath)

How could I have already completed my ask for the day?
I must have done it all wrong. Typical Becky.

Becky deletes her spreadsheet and starts from scratch. Max zigzags through the office on a UNICYCLE.

DAX

All-hands!

Becky watches the office bros pick up their balls and file into a conference room. She struggles to lift her ball, but her tiny lady arms can’t get around it. She bends over, grunts, and rolls the ball after them.

INT. – CONFERENCE ROOM – DAY

Max, Becky, Dax, and TAD (Jonah Hill), a man, join a collection of LESSER BROS sitting on balls around a long CONFERENCE TABLE.

MAX

The good news is that GooBookIn is stronger than ever. The bad
news is that we’re hemorrhaging money and have no discernable
business model. Let’s spitball some collaborative solutions. Tad?

TAD

We could ideate until innovations come out.

MAX

Good. I like that. Yes. Becky?

BECKY
(just pathetic)

Um? I noticed that we’re spending a lot of money on expensive
devices, then just haphazardly scattering them around the office?
Ruining them?
Like, Tad’s service snake alone crushed three iPads in its jaws this
morning.

The Bros stare at Becky.

MAX

What did you just say?

Becky takes a deep breath. You’ve got this.

BECKY
(assertive)

I said instead of constantly replacing our assets, we could make
an effort to better protect our investments.

MAX

Or maybe you could make an effort to stop being such a bitch,
Becky.
OK. Dax?

Becky writes “TO DO: STOP BEING BITCH” on a NOTEPAD. Dax rises from his ergonomic ball and bounces it on the floor with two hands.

Becky reaches the bathroom door just in time to catch Beryl disappearing into her OFFICE. But not before: Dax shoots the BASKETBALL to Beryl. She catches it, pivots, pitches it over her head, and lands it in the trashcan with an audible SWOOSH.

BECKY

How does she do it?

INT. – GOOBOOKIN OFFICES – NIGHT

Becky sits alone at her hack space, now strewn with discarded spreadsheets.

The Bros have all left for the evening. She takes a spreadsheet, crumples it into a ball, and throws it at the trashcan. Air ball.

BECKY

How did they ever let me into this office? All of the other
candidates must have died in a tragic accident. Their only
legacy is my failure, which brings dishonor upon all of their
families.

At the far end of the office, Becky sees a LIGHT flicker on in BERYL’S OFFICE. She gravitates toward it like the worthless bug that she is, knocks softly, then cracks open the door.

INT. – BERYL’S OFFICE – NIGHT

BECKY

Hello? Beryl? I’m so sorry to bother you.

BERYL(maternal, yet patronizing)

Becky, you’re a fertile young woman. Have you considered
starting a family?

Becky collapses onto an ergonomic ball.

BECKY

It’s all I think about. But how could I possibly juggle kids
while incompetently pursuing my career?

BERYL

Becky, let me show you a little trick.

Beryl opens a desk drawer, revealing a SQUIRMING INFANT.

BECKY

You keep a baby? In your desk?

Beryl lifts her pointer finger to her lips and performs an EXAGGERATED, yet AUTHENTIC wink.

BECKY

Will you be my mentor?

BERYL

Becky, no. But if you sign up via your GooBookIn profile, you can
be an early adopter of my new female empowerment program,
TILT FORWARD—NOT THAT MUCH—JUST RIGHT™.

Becky tilts forward precariously on the ball. It slips out from under her butt, hits the wall, and POPS LOUDLY.

MONTAGE – set to BRITNEY SPEARS’ “Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman”

Beryl picks up the BASKETBALL and models the correct form. She passes the ball to Becky, hitting her in the WOMB. Beryl lets out an EXASPERATED, yet SYMPATHETIC SIGH.

Becky comes out of a dressing room, modeling a pair of STILETTO HEELS. Beryl shakes her head—too high. Becky emerges again in a pair of MANNISH OXFORDS. BERYL shakes her head—too low. BECKY returns in a pair of SENSIBLE, yet FASHIONABLE pumps. BERYL nods—just right.

Beryl balances her Squirming Infant in one hand and a BRIEFCASE in the other. She steps onto a LADDER and begins climbing it QUICKLY, yet SLOWLY. Becky takes studious notes.

Becky lurches on her ergonomic ball, seesawing back and forth. She tilts back. Her feet flail into the air. Beryl squats next to her. She adjusts her torso to TILT FORWARD. NOT THAT MUCH. JUST RIGHT. Yes.

INT. – GOOBOOKIN OFFICES – DAY

Becky approaches the playpen. She takes a DEEP, yet SHALLOW breath.

BECKY
(like men talk)

Max. I noticed that you’ve only stocked the office with exercise
balls ergonomically designed to fit men’s bodies. It’s practically
impossible for my strong, yet dainty frame to complete my
deliverables while balancing on these man balls. You need to
order some female sizes ASAP.

MAX

Oh, word? Cool. We’ll get some lady balls.

BECKY
(victorious, yet humble)

Thanks.

Becky turns and strides through the office SMILING, yet NOT SMILING. Dax palms the BASKETBALL and passes it to Beryl. Beryl locks eyes with Becky. She tosses the ball her way. Becky CATCHES! She SHOOTS! She SCORES! She WEEPS OPENLY, or ELSE THERE IS SOMETHING IN HER EYE.